


A little bit of everything

by bentnotbroken1



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: All trigger warnings will be in chapter notes, Canon-Typical Violence, Haunted Houses, Interrogation, M/M, One Shot Collection, Post S3, Steve Has PTSD, Tumblr Prompt, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-11-22 04:56:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20868545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bentnotbroken1/pseuds/bentnotbroken1
Summary: Harringrove prompts.One-shots, ficlets





	1. The Hannah House

**Author's Note:**

> Answered prompt from anon
> 
> How about a haunted house au for spooky season? Like they could go through one or maybe they work there?

Steve Harrington has a secret. 

Ok, he has a _ few _ secrets, but _ this _ one is most likely going to get him _ laughed at _ and he'd rather avoid that if he can. 

But it's _ so hard _ to say no to Billy Hargrove and Max Mayfield. Anyone would tell you the siblings just have this ability to make people do what they want without much resistance. And tonight they have _ Steve _ in their sights. 

Maybe it's Billy's charming smile, which he has perfected for this very purpose, that has Steve reluctantly agreeing. Maybe it's the way he looks at Steve when he asks, like it would be the worst thing in the world if he denied him this. But most likely it's because he's gone on the bastard and will do just about _ anything _ to make him happy. 

So, yeah, that's why he's standing here in front of The Hannah House, on a dark, cold October night, when he'd much rather be at home drinking hot chocolate with a blanket wrapped around him. His heart is racing -really it had been racing before they even _ got _ to Indy- because he's fucking terrified ok? 

Haunted houses are _ so _ not his scene, but he'd managed to keep that little fact underwraps for the last, oh, eighteen years. It's probably going to come out tonight though. He's ninety percent sure of that, because this is the _ most haunted house in Indiana. _

Steve's going to make a fucking fool out of himself. 

"I can't believe you talked Steve into this." Max says, bouncing on the balls of her feet behind him. "Dustin couldn't even get him to go to the _ lame _ one in Hawkins last year." 

Billy smirks and Steve hates him a little bit. "That's because _ Dustin _ doesn't suck his-"

Steve slaps a hand over his mouth before he can finish his sentence. "Oh my god, _ shut up_." 

Billy licks his hand and Steve pulls it away and wipes it on his jacket, because _ really_? 

"_Relax_, Harrington. Nobody here even _ knows _ us." 

"Steve's right. Stop being _ gross,_" Max whines. "I don't want to hear about your sex life right now. I've already _ heard _ enough of it through the walls to last me a lifetime."

Yeah, Steve's ears are burning. He might hate Max a little too. At least it distracted him for a second. 

They are the last group allowed to enter and his hands are shaking a bit. He's definitely sweating too. Shit. 

Billy throws an arm over his shoulder. "What's wrong? You nervous?" 

_ Yes. _ He's fucking _ nervous _. He is a total scaredy cat. "No, I'm fine." He lies. 

"You sure?" He asks with a small grin. "Because you can hold my hand if you're scared." 

"Fuck you." He groans, because, no he does _ not _ need to hold his hand. He's not a _ child_. He can do this. He's _ fine. _

Billy chuckles and pushes him forward, so _ Steve _ is the first one of them stepping into the creepy ass house. 

So, he maybe hates Billy _ a lot_. 

But he's surprised to find that it's ok at first. He knows there's three other groups walking around in here with their flashlights too, so that makes him feel a little better. And sure, it's dark and has a totally weird vibe, but nothing crazy happens for the first five minutes. 

He can feel the heat of Billy's body behind him and can hear Max muttering from the rear so it probably gives him a false sense of security because he lets his guard down.

He definitely shouldn't have.

As soon as he walks into the parlor the temperature drops and he gets chills along his spine. "Does it seem colder to you?" He whispers. 

Max excitedly answers, "Yeah, it totally does."

Well, he's glad she's having fun at least. 

He goes further into the room and yeah, he feels like they're being _ watched _ , but when he shines his flashlight around he doesn't _ see _ anything. Billy's wandering around without a care in the world and Steve wants to smack him. How can he be so nonchalant? There's definitely something strange going on here. 

But he takes the opportunity to move behind him. Fuck being first. He'd rather be in the middle. Yeah, the middle is good. 

Billy just shakes his head, "Scared of a little cold spot, pretty boy?" 

"_No._" He lies again. "Maybe I just wanted a better view."

"Sure. Sure. Whatever you say."

Steve tries not to pout as he sticks close. 

Max is walking around with her tape recorder asking questions and she's so serious about it that even Billy doesn't pick on her like he normally would. 

Steve thinks she's just asking for trouble goading shit into talking to her. Why do people _ like _ being scared? Why do they _ want _ ghosts to be real? Aren't there enough scary things in the world already? 

He gets more and more paranoid with each room they walk through. Sometimes he feels like there are eyes on them, and sometimes he thinks he hears whispers. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and he really wants to book it out of here. 

But he _can't_. He refuses to ruin this for them. He agreed to come so he's going to follow through. Even if he is about to jump out of his skin. 

Billy touches his arm while he's busy trying _ not _to look at the nursery set up for a stillborn baby, and he shrieks in surprise. 

"Jesus, you're jumpy as fuck." Billy laughs a bit. "Didn't mean to scare you." 

Steve tries to slow down his heart. "Yeah, no. It's fine. I'm just… a little on edge. I feel like we are being watched or something."

"Maybe you're just sensitive to spirits, Steve." Max pipes up from the other side of the room. "Maybe _ you _ should be the one trying to get EVP's." 

He shakes his head almost violently. "Nope, nope. That's not going to happen."

"Oh, come on. They might talk to you," she whines. 

"I'd rather fucking not."

"Leave him alone, Max. You're the only one that wants to talk to fucking ghosts or whatever it is you're doing." 

"Sure, go ahead." She says, "Act like you're not interested in the paranormal _ too_, Mr let's-go-to-the-cemetery-at-three-in-the-morning." 

"I wasn't looking for _ ghosts_, Max. It was more about the _ aesthetic_."

Billy _ would _ hang out in a fucking cemetery at the _ devil's hour. _Jesus. 

Max raises her voice. "You're such a _ liar_, oh my god." 

"Can we just keep going?" Steve asks, cutting into what is about to become a stupid argument. He wants to finish this tour so he can go the hell home. 

Steve can just _sense_ the smirk on his boyfriend's face as he comments, "You _ heard _ the man, Max. Let's keep _moving_." 

"I hate you so much." 

Billy just walks past her and out the door. 

Steve follows after them and tries not to pay attention to any of the weird shit that keeps happening. The others don't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, so maybe he _is_ just being a paranoid spazz. 

So he doesn't say anything when he thinks a book moves in the study, or when he hears creaking floorboards behind them. He's already decided he's keeping his mouth shut as long as nothing touches him. 

They are in the basement when _ that _ finally happens. Steve feels nauseous and when he falls a step or two further behind the siblings he feels a sharp tug on his hair. 

And _ fuck a bunch of that. _

He collides with Billy's back in his haste to get the hell away from whatever entity decided to fuck with him and Billy pitches forward a bit. "What the hell?"

"Sorry. Sorry. _ Jesus_." He apologizes. 

Max asks, "What's wrong?"

"Something _ pulled _ my fucking _ hair_. I swear to God." He's shaking and he _knows_ Billy can feel it. 

He can tell that Billy probably wants to laugh, to make a joke, but maybe he senses the real fear spilling out of him because in the end, he doesn't. He just puts a steady hand on his shoulder and says, "Ok, just take a deep breath for me, yeah?" 

He does. He takes a couple deep breaths and his fear subsides a little. 

Max is pouting. "Why won't the ghosts mess with _ me_? I _ want _ them to."

"Be careful what you wish for." Billy tells her and Steve agrees.

She huffs and replies, "Whatever. Let's keep going. I still want to see the room where the escaped slaves supposedly died while hiding out."

"Or we could not." Steve chokes out. That's the last thing he needs. Ghosts from the Underground Railroad freaking him out. 

Billy slips his hand into Steve's. "Hey, it's ok, baby, I won't let any ghosts get you." 

He wants to tell him to not be so fucking patronizing, but his hand is warm and he feels safe pressed up against his side, so he stays quiet. 

They follow after Max, and yeah, Steve gets freaked out a couple more times, but at least Billy and Max hear the same low moan and breathy whispers he does before they leave the cellar. 

Seriously, fuck this haunted ass mansion. 

"_Now _ do you believe me?" He asks as they rush up the stairs. 

"Yeah, just _ go._" Billy hisses and shoves him along. 

Max is the only one excited. "I think I got it on the recorder!" 

"Good for you," Steve replies, "you got what you came for, so let's go home."

Once they are safely back outside Steve lets out a relieved sigh. He did it. He made it through a legit haunted house and he didn't cry or make a complete ass of himself. At least, he doesn't _ think _he did. 

Billy has a hand on his lower back as they walk to the car behind Max, and he leans into him to ask, "Why didn't you just tell me you don't like haunted houses?" 

"Because it's fucking _ embarrassing_. I didn't want you guys to know I was scared of them." 

"You know, just because I'm _ usually _ an asshole doesn't mean I'm _ always _an asshole. I wouldn't have made fun of you for that. _Everyone_ is scared of something, Steve." 

And that…that makes his chest feel tight and warm. He has to stop himself from just grabbing his face and kissing him. 

He waits until _ after _ they drop off Max to do that...and a few _ other _ things. 

Maybe the hour of terror was worth it after all. 

  



	2. Can't keep pretending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events that transpired deep beneath the Starcourt Mall, Steve has convinced himself that he's moved on. He has a job with his best friend, sees the kids on the weekends, and everything is good. 
> 
> He's fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No pairing. Steve centric. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING  
Description of panic attack

Steve might not be good at _ everything _ , but he _ is _ good at locking things away. 

If he doesn't think about it, if he pretends it didn't happen, he can let it go. He can make himself believe everything is fine, that _ he _ is fine. He can shut down anything that makes him feel slimy and take those bad memories and pack them away. Tape the boxes shut. Build a brick wall around them. 

Forget the wall _ exists _. 

He's fine. 

And sure, it hadn't worked on the _ Barb _ situation last year, but that's because _ Nancy _ had been there, _ talking _ about it, _ making _ him remember, never letting it _ go_. 

But he doesn't have her in his ear anymore. Doesn't have _anyone_ shoving the memories in his face. So, his ability to lock it all away starts working again, or at least, he'd _thought_ it had been working again. 

But he was wrong. 

It happens when he's at work. 

It's almost time to close, he's sorting the returned movies and putting them back on the shelves, when he sees someone in the next aisle over. His heart starts beating loudly in his chest and he can feel himself break out in a cold sweat. The hand not holding any tapes trembles and his ears start to ring. 

At first he has _ no fucking idea _ what is going on or why his body is acting like this, but then he _ realizes _…the man in the next aisle, reading the back of an Indiana Jones case, looks kind of like the Russian General from this angle. 

He suddenly feels sick to his stomach and has an intense urge to _ run. _ But he can't just _ leave _, so he just walks the other way, sets the movies on the counter close to Robin and goes straight to the back office. 

Once the door clicks behind him he lets his mask of calm shatter and freaks the fuck out. 

He can't _ breathe _. His vision goes spotty and the trembling in his hand spreads. He has to sit down, back against the wall and knees to his chest, to stop himself from shaking apart. 

_ Shit. Shit. Shit_. 

Why is this happening _ now_? It's been _ months _ . He thought he locked that shit away. He was _ sure _ he had, so why is he fucking _ crying_? 

"Steve?" 

He can barely hear Robin saying his name but he sees the door open. He sees her worried face as she crouches in front of him. She reaches out to touch his shoulder but he flinches so hard he knocks his head back on the wall. 

She yanks her hand away from him. "Shit. I'm _ sorry_." 

He wants to tell her it's ok, doesn't want to make her feel bad, but he can't get his mouth to move, can't get his voice to work. It's taking all his energy to just focus on _ breathing _. 

"_Please_, tell me what to _ do._" She's begging him. 

But how _can_ _he_ when he doesn't even understand what the fuck is happening to him? 

"Come on, Steve. _ Breathe._"

Yeah, he's _ trying. _

Someone is hitting the bell next to the registers. 

"I'll be with you in a minute!" Robin yells out the door, but the ringing continues. "Can you just wait a second?!"

He finally manages to get out the word _ go. _They can't ignore customers, even if Steve is acting like a crazy person. 

She doesn't look like she wants to leave him, but when the ringing gets aggressive she shakes her head and gets up. 

He closes his eyes and tells himself that he's ok over and over. So by the time Robin returns, his heart has slowed and his lungs don't feel like they're going to explode. He's not shaking anymore but he _ is _ exhausted and still feels sick. 

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" 

He's not really _ thinking _ of anything when he blurts out, "I should have died."

_ Oh_. 

Her face softens and she sits down next to him. "Steve-"

"It was _ luck_. That's the only reason we got out of there." He says, because it's fucking _ true. " _ What were we _ thinking? _ We had _ no business _ sneaking in there. And _ fuck_, we put Dustin and Erica in danger. I mean it was _ Dustin's idea _ but I'm supposed to be a fucking _ adult_. I should have shut that shit down. What would have happened if those Russian douchebags had gotten their hands on _ them _ too?"

He is really surprised by the words coming out of his mouth. He hadn't said _ anything, _not one _ word _ about that night since it happened. The last time he even _ thought _ about it was when he had to write out a statement for the men in suits. Then he'd went home and put all those bad thoughts in his boxes with the rest of the shit he doesn't think about, and taped them up. Built those walls around them. 

But now the walls are crumbling and the tape is being ripped off and he can't stop the thoughts and feelings from spilling out, drowning him. 

"I got beaten _ unconscious._" He continues, "And yeah, it wasn't the first time that's happened to me, but at least I was able to get a few good hits in on Billy before he knocked me out. At least I could _ move. _But down there, I couldn't…I couldn't _ do _ anything. I was fucking _ handcuffed _ and I just had to _ take _ it because it didn't matter what I said, they didn't believe me." 

He tries to suppress the shiver he gets when he remembers how _ helpless _ he'd felt. 

"I'm not a spy. I'm not a _ soldier_. I wasn't prepared for that shit. Deflection and humor only get you so far, and the worst part wasn't even the pain. It was the thought that they were hurting _ you _ like that too, and that if they were, it was _ my fault._"

Robin makes a noise and he thinks she is going to protest, but in the end she doesn't say anything. She just continues to listen to him. Maybe she knows he needs to get it all out. 

"That general was a _ total _ fucking _ creep, _ made my skin crawl. And they were milliseconds away from _ torturing _ me. They would have probably tortured you too when they didn't get what they wanted. They would have _ definitely _ killed us afterwards and the only reason _ that _ didn't happen was because the kids crazy ass rescue plan worked. It _ shouldn't have, _ but for some reason it _ did. A_nd like, I'm _ glad _ it worked, but it doesn't _ change _ anything that happened before that."

He feels like puking again. 

"Jesus," He runs his hand over his face, feels the remnants of sweat there, and sighs. "I've faced and fought and _ killed _ other wordly _ monsters_, Robin. I was scared every time. I thought I was going to _ die _ every time. But down in that base? I've _ never _ been more fucking _ terrified _ in my _ life _...The Upside Down monsters are predictable. You pretty much know what you're up against, and if they kill you, they make it quick." 

He swallows the sudden lump in his throat. "But _ human _ monsters? They _ play _ with you first. _ Hurt you. _ Like making you _ suffer and _ you can never see what's coming next." He turns his face to look at her. " _ I couldn't see what was coming." _

They're both quiet and the weight of the silence lays heavy between them. 

He takes a deep breath and repeats, "We _ should have _ died." 

Robin slips her hand into his. "Yeah, maybe we should have died down there, but we _ didn't, _ Steve _ . _We made it out." 

"But did we _ really _ ?" He asks, his voice just above a whisper, and she takes a shaky breath like she knows _ exactly _ what he's saying without saying it. Like she _ understands _.

"I'm sorry." She says, instead of answering, and he's confused. She doesn't have anything to be sorry for. 

"About what?" 

She sounds a little choked up when she responds, "Not realizing that you weren't ok." 

"Stop." He squeezes her hand. "I _ was _ ok. Until tonight I was _ fine _. I don't…I don't know what happened." 

"Well, you looked like you'd seen a ghost or something when you walked up to the counter. It freaked me out. What were you doing before that?" 

"My job. But I got distracted by a customer." He replies slowly. "I saw this _ guy _ and I… he reminded me of the _ General _ and I just…I felt like my heart was going to burst and I couldn't _ breathe." _

"Ok. Let's look at the facts." She let's go of his hand and looks thoughtful and serious. "You insist that you were fine before tonight, but obviously seeing someone that reminded you of that day _ triggered _ something inside of you. Made you feel how you felt back then? Scared you."

It makes sense. 

"Yeah. That's…probably what happened."

"So, maybe it won't happen again." She says, and she sounds hopeful. "Maybe this was a one time thing."

"Yeah, maybe." He'd really like to believe that. There's nothing he'd love _ more _ than to pack it all back up and get on with his life again. But he knows that's impossible. His walls are just too damaged to hold it all back now. 

He doesn't tell Robin, but he has a twisting feeling in his gut that this _ won't _ be the last time. 


	3. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post s3 Billy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billy-centric /sprinkle of Harringrove at the end. 
> 
> Post Possession Billy

Before he was possessed by a monster, Billy Hargrove had a shit life. He woke up every morning telling himself that he could do it, he's one more day closer to getting the fuck out, getting away from his dad. California was on the horizon. Once he reached it, his life would be better. He just had to keep going, keep moving towards that goal, and at the end, he'd find a bit of happiness. 

He felt like he deserved at  _ least _ that much. 

_ After _ the possession, his life is still shit, but now in a worse and more terrifying way. His body is broken, his mind is scattered and he  _ has _ no goals anymore. When he wakes up in the morning, he doesn't think about sunshine and beaches, he thinks about Heather. He thinks about the destruction he left behind him. He thinks about the fear he saw on Max's friends face. He thinks about  _ Max.  _

He wakes up and no longer aches for a better life. 

He knows he doesn't deserve one. 

* * *

  
Billy doesn't get _angry_ anymore. 

There's no point. 

His world is grey and lifeless. There's no white hot rage burning him up from the inside, setting everything ablaze. His fire had been snuffed out months ago by a wave of guilt that had crashed down him. A wave that just keeps coming. 

So now he's just numb. Now he just exists to inhale oxygen and dispel carbon dioxide. 

He feels like even  _ that _ is a waste. 

Billy doesn't _fight back_ anymore. 

There are no witty retorts, no yelling to defend himself, no defiant look on his face as his father talks down to him. He takes it silently now. He doesn't flinch or shrink away when the hits come. He lets them fall. 

He deserves worse than what Neil is giving him. Why fight it? 

Billy doesn't  _ try _ anymore. 

The first thing he did when he came home from the government hospital a month ago, was cover up his mirror. He can't bear to look at himself longer than the time it takes to brush his teeth. He can't stand to see his face, the face of a murderer. 

He doesn't look at his body much either. It hurts. The one thing he had going for him has been twisted beyond repair. His scars ache when the temperature drops. The bruises his dad gives him throb more than they ever had before. 

He's _soft_.

Body and soul. 

He wonders if that will eventually piss Neil off. After all,  _ real men _ aren't  _ weak _ . Real men get up and get back to work, get up and go back to normal, get up and push harder than before. 

Billy wants to ask how many  _ real men _ Neil knows that were possessed by monsters, that were experimented on before and after being healed. How many real men does he know with scars that look like his. He  _ wants _ to ask. 

But he doesn't. 

What good would it do? It wouldn't change anything. 

Billy doesn't _smile_ anymore. 

Not that he had many genuine smiles before, but at the very least he could  _ fake _ them. He could use them to charm just about anyone, he could use them to hide his pain, he could use them to  _ fight _ . He hasn't smiled since the day the monster took him. 

He doesn't think he'll ever smile again. There's nothing in this town worth the  _ effort _ of using the muscles in his face for anything other than frowning. 

At least that's what he thought before Max physically dragged him out of the house, _you're going to get stuck to your bed if you don't move_, and made him come with her to the Family Video store. 

The video store where a familiar head of hair is walking around the back aisle with a stack of tapes and smiling brightly at Max as she runs up to him. 

It's the first time he's seen Steve Harrington since  _ that night _ , and even then he'd only seen a glimpse of his stupid sailor uniform. He looks good now, though, wearing normal clothes and running a hand through his hair. He sees Billy over the top of Max's head and gives him a mall wave. 

And _shit_. Billy had honestly forgotten how damn pretty he was. 

Now, standing here under the fluorescent lights, with his hands stuffed into his coat pockets and a buzzing in his ears, he's reminded. And suddenly there's a little bit of color in his world of grey. 


	4. Vampire AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a slice of life (ha ha life) ficlet. 
> 
> Sorry there's no smut 🤣

Billy lights a cigarette. Not because he needs one, he doesn't _ need _ much of anything anymore, but to give his mouth something to do while he fills Harrington's grave with dirt. 

The pretty boy owes him _ big time _ for this. Billy had plans for tonight. Plans that he had to _ cancel _ because _ someone _ decided to stumble into a den of the undead. And yeah, he didn't _ have _ to drag his bitten and dying ass out here and give him _ his _ blood, but he couldn't just let an ass as fine as _ that _ become little more than a snack. 

And _ sure _ , _ maybe _ his reasons for doing this are that shallow, but he's still doing him a solid. Billy never wanted to sire anyone, so this is totally out of character for him to begin with. Harrington is damn lucky he's still pretty. 

He heaves more dirt over him. 

Why the fuck was he even at that warehouse anyway? He had zero business being on that side of town, on _ his _side of town. Maybe he should ask him once he climbs his way free. Then smack him upside the head for being a complete moron. Who walks into empty creepy buildings in the middle of the night? 

_ Harrington _apparently. 

IU must not have a class on street smarts. 

He huffs a laugh at the thought of the boy taking that kind of class as he continues his work, and it only takes a few more seconds to fill it all in. 

He pats the dirt with the shovel and smirks, "Sleep tight, sweetheart. See you tomorrow." 

  
-

Harrington crawls into his new _ life _ as gracefully as Billy thought he would, which is not _ at all _. He stumbles away from the grave on shaky legs and searches around frantically, fear and panic evident on his dirt smeared face. Once he sees Billy sitting on the hood of his Camaro, his eyes grow comically wide. 

"What the _fuck_? What the fuck is going on? Did I just _climb_ out of a _fucking_ _grave_? Did you bury me _alive_, Hargrove?" 

"Calm down, Princess. I saved your sorry ass. You'd be a bloodless corpse in a basement right now if I hadn't gotten you out of there." 

"Out of where? What are you talking about?" 

"Holy shit, you have no idea what you walked in on, do you?" 

Confused, he answers, "No?" 

"Jesus Christ, you really are an idiot." He throws the other boy a towel to get some of the grime off his skin. 

"Gee, thanks." He scowls, but he takes the offering and starts wiping himself off. 

Billy sighs, "I don't know _ why _ you were at that warehouse, Harrington, but whoever sent you probably wanted you to die," He watches the towel pause on his face, "or at the very least, beat to shit."

"I was there to hook up with a guy." He admits quietly. "He picked the meet up place."

And Billy _ knows _ he was the only human in that building last night, so that means that one of the other vampires had set him up. It's not like Billy's never hooked up with a _ dinner _ date, but that wasn't what was going on there. He had thought it was just an accident and that they had gotten carried away. But no, they had _ planned _ to suck him dry until Billy intervened. 

It pisses him off because they don't have to do that anymore. They don't have to wait so long between feedings now. They don't get so lost in their hunger that they kill all of their meals. So killing humans these days is unnecessary. It's an archaic practice that Billy despises. 

_ Fuck. _

Now he would have to watch out for those bastards. 

"I know it was stupid, and I should have left when I saw how creepy the place was, but I just _ really _ needed to get laid." 

He laughs at that. He can't help it. "I wouldn't have thought King Steve would end up _ literally _ dying for some dick." 

"Oh, fuck you, Hargrove." He growls. "Act like you don't gag for it too." 

Billy raises a brow. "Gag for it, huh? No, I'm not the one gagging, pretty boy." 

He looks like he's about to rattle off another comeback, but before he can, he doubles over in pain. 

_ Yeah _, Billy thinks, it's just about that time. 

When he looks up at Billy, his eyes are dark, _ hungry _, and he twists around to look towards town. Billy grabs his jacket and hauls him back when he tries to head that way.

"_ Easy _, Harrington. Can't have you outing us to the public." 

"What's _ wrong _ with me?" He groans, and attempts to pull himself free of Billy's hold. 

"You're _hungry_." He replies, "It's always the most intense when you're first awakened." 

"Awakened? What are you _ talking about _ ? What's _ happening _ to me?"

"Not to sound cliche, but you're a vampire now, Harrington. A creature of the night."

"_ What?" _He shakes his head and nearly cries out, "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me, but it's true.That pain in your gut? It's not going to go away."

"_ Fuuck _ ." He drops to the ground and hides his face in his knees. "This is _ crazy _ . I don't _ want _ to be a vampire. What the _ fuck _?"

Billy crouches down in front of him. "I'm sorry, I would have asked if you wanted this, but you were hanging on by a thread by the time I got you away from them."

He looks up. "Why didn't you just let them kill me?" 

He shrugs the best he can while crouched like this. "You dying just didn't sit well with me." 

"Well, shit." He groans again and hugs his knees to his chest. The action doesn't mask the way his limbs are trembling. 

"Get up, Harrington."

"Don't want to move." He grits his teeth. "Hurts to much."

He grabs his chin. "Suck it up. We _ have _ to go." 

"I _ can't." _

"Listen to me." He demands, holding his chin even tighter. "I know it feels fucking horrible, but I'm going to help you. You just need to _ trust _ me."

He looks skeptical but then another wave of excruciating pain makes him snap his eyes shut. "Ok. I'll trust you." He sniffs when it's over. "But what are we doing?" 

"I'm taking you somewhere so you can feed." He says and lifts him off the ground. 

"Oh my god, that sounds gross." 

Billy ignores his complaint and shoves him into the passenger side. "You'll get used to it." 

"So are we going to a blood bank or something?" He asks when Billy slips behind the wheel. 

He can't help it, he laughs. "That's cute, pretty boy, but no. Our blood donors are always alive. It has to be fresh."

"I have to _ bite _ someone?" 

"Yeah, but it's consensual." 

He shudders, "Still." 

Usually, Billy is the one that constantly moves his mouth, but Harrington starts chattering the minute they pull away. He's nervous and feels disturbed with the thought that he will be living on blood from now on. 

Billy is starting to regret turning him. 

It takes a lot of effort to get the brunet out of the Camaro when they pull up to the apartment complex. 

"This is a bad idea." He says, and Billy rolls his eyes. 

"Do you want to _ die _ die? Because if you don't, then it's the only way to insure your transition." 

He doesn't reply, but he pouts a little bit when Billy drags him out and walks him around to the side of the building. Their destination is at the end. 

A short and busty Hispanic woman greets them at the door. "Hey, Billy, baby." She coos, "didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon." 

"Not here for me, doll." He replies, and pulls Harrington inside the apartment, his grip tightening to ensure he doesn't get free. He doesn't complain or say anything at all, just let's Billy drag him along. 

She closes the door behind them and follows Billy to the couch. She gives him a curious look before commenting, "I thought you said you didn't want to sire? That it was one of your _ rules _." 

"I _ didn't _ ," He sighs, "but I _ knew _ this one. Couldn't just let him die on my watch, Some rules are meant to be broken, I guess." 

"Well, he's a cutie." She replies, eyes sweeping over him, "Wanted us to be his first, huh?" 

"Yeah, thought I'd bring him here. You know you and Rita are my favorites. Wouldn't trust just anyone for this." 

"Flatterer," She teases. 

He flashes her a charming smile. "Never."

Harrington suddenly leans against Billy and groans in pain. "_ Shit _." 

The woman sits down on the other side of him so that he's sandwiched between her and Billy. "I think we need to get down to business. The poor thing is miserable."

He nods in agreement and moves the boy around so he can look at him. "Harrington, I know it's hard to focus, but I need you to for just a second." He tells him, and brown eyes keep his gaze. "This is Selene. She's going to help you out tonight, ok? She's one of the best at knowing her limits and I trust her." 

He closes his eyes and Billy can tell he's still struggling with it. "Don't want to hurt anyone." 

"You're not going to hurt me, sweetie." Selene promises him. "Billy will stop you when I tell him to." 

After another cramp that leaves him shaking, he mutters, "Ok. I'll do it." 

"We'll start you out with a wrist. You're less likely to overfeed and easier for me to control." He very nearly wraps his body around his lithe frame and puts one hand on his throat, just in case he needs to pull him away. 

Selene lets Billy take her wrist into his free hand and bring it close to Harrington's mouth. 

He looks startled when his fangs immediately elongate with the close proximity of her blood. 

"It's ok." Billy assures him. "Go ahead."

He sinks his teeth into her flesh and moans a bit. Billy still remembers how good it felt the first time, knows how easy it is to get lost in it. "_ Slowly _," He whispers in his ear. He can feel his throat tighten under his hand as he forces himself to slow down, "That's it." Billy tells him, "Good boy."

He continues to speak softly to him but keeps his eyes on Selene, waiting for the signal. Once she gives it he puts a little pressure on his throat. "Let her go." 

He thought he might have a hard time pulling him away, but he doesn't. The brunet releases her wrist at his command and lets Billy practically pull him into his lap. 

Selene is smiling. "He's got good control." 

"Yeah, looks like he's full of suprises." 

"_ He _ is right here you know." He snarks, but his voice sounds a bit fucked out. 

"Sorry, Princess." He laughs, "Didn't mean to _ ignore _ you." As if he ever could to begin with. 

A thin tall woman in pajama shorts and a towel in her hair appears in the doorway before he can respond. "I _ thought _ I heard your loud mouth over my shower, Billy." 

He rolls his eyes. "Good to see you too, Rita."

She struts closer to the couch and pulls the towel out of her blonde hair. "Got yourself a baby vamp?" She asks, taking in the scene. "Find him on the street or something?" 

"No." 

That answer peaks her interest. "_ You _ turned him?" 

"Kinda had to. He would have died if I hadn't, and apparently I have a soft spot for the bastard." 

"Aww that's so sweet." She beams and looks at the boy in his lap. "Since your _ sire _ has no manners whatsoever, I'll just introduce myself." She extends her hand out to Harrington. "I'm Rita."

He shifts in Billy's lap and hesitantly shakes it. "Steve." 

"Nice to meet you." 

He clears his throat, "Yeah, uh, nice to meet you too." 

She turns back to Billy. "Did he get enough?"

"Probably not, but it was enough to hold off the hunger for a bit at least." 

"Why make him suffer? He can take from me too."

"You sure? You may not be able to take care of your other regulars." 

"It's fine. I want to help this one out." She sits down and Billy turns his body on the couch so Harrington can reach her more easily. 

"Rita's going to top you off so you won't be hungry later." Billy tells him. 

"Ok, " He says and instead of arguing, waits. 

This time Billy lets him hold Rita's wrist and wraps one arm loosely around him. He doesn't think Harrington is going to have an issue stopping when they tell him too. 

He takes her wrist and brings it to his mouth, not hesitating this time before sinking his teeth into her. 

Billy is looking between him and Rita when he feels Selene at his back. "I can see why you broke your rule now." She says, and he can just _ hear _ the smile in her voice. "You have a hard on for the guy, don't you?" 

"_ Selene _." 

"I don't blame you. He's very pretty." 

He hates when she gets like this. "That's not the _ only _ reason I turned him." 

"But it _ was _ a factor." 

"Fuck you," He hisses, "but _ yes _, it was a factor." 

Harrington is releasing Rita before Billy even had to _ tell him _ to and he thanks her quietly. 

"Pretty _ and _ polite?" Selene whispers in Billy's ear. "I like this one." 

"I'm glad you _ approve _." He replies sarcastically. 

"No need to get snippy, baby. I'm rooting for you."

He ends the conversation there because he can't get into it with her right now. "Come on, Harrington. We should let these lovely ladies get back to their night." 

"Right." He follows him back through the apartment but stops at the door and addresses Selene. "Thanks." 

Her eyes definitely look mischievous as she smiles brightly at him. "Anytime, baby." 

Billy ushers him out of the apartment and into the Camaro before Selene can corrupt him. 

He'd been so quiet inside with the two women, but now that he's fully sated and can string together more than one thought at a time, Harrington starts throwing a slew of questions at him _again_ as soon as they're on the road. 

Billy groans and briefly wonders, once more, if he made the wrong decision by turning him. But no, for once in his life he made the _right_ one. If he hadn't turned him, he would dead, and a world without Steve Harrington would be a lonely one. 

And maybe, just _maybe_, he doesn't want to be alone anymore. 


	5. Look Away, Sweetheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and Steve get captured by the Russians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer to a tumblr prompt by Ihni, "Look Away, Sweetheart"
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING  
Non graphic interrogation  
Mild Description of injuries  
Possible character death (Open Ending)

When Billy had woken up that morning, he'd _ known _ something wasn't right. There had been a feeling of dread deep in his chest, in his _ bones _. The kind of dread that he only got before his father's fists landed. 

He'd taken a shower and brushed his teeth with unease sinking into his skin. He'd gotten dressed and met up with Steve at his job with uncertainty chasing after him. 

So he's really not surprised when the day goes to total _ shit _. 

He doesn't _ want _ to blame it on Henderson, he doesn't, but he _ was _ the one that had the bright idea in the first place. 

And _ now? _ Now he and Steve are side by side, tied up and beaten to hell in some goddamn Russian fortress. A fortress that was somehow built under the fucking _ mall _without the U.S. government even knowing about it. 

But it's not _ all _ doom and gloom he supposes. They had held off the guards long enough for Dustin, Robin and that little girl to get away. 

He might not _ like _ Henderson or Lucas's smart ass sister, but he's glad they got away. He just wishes Robin would have dragged Steve into the vent too. 

He hates that he's here next to him with his nose broken, one eye swelling, and bruises galore. Billy is used to beatings. What these Russian assholes dished out was _ nothing _ . He'd taken worse beatings for being out five minutes past _ curfew _. 

But Steve _ isn't _ used to it, being hurt like this. He's groaning and trying not to cry about it. And he should not fucking be here. He should not be getting violently interrogated and threatened. He should be escaping with the others. 

Fuck. 

He doesn't know if they are going to get out of here. Yeah, the guard hitting them has stopped, but he knows the General won't wait for long. He's biding his time. A tactic a man in power does to make their victims squirm. They stop just long enough for them to _ really _ feel their injuries. Long enough for them to become _ afraid. _

Then it starts all over again. 

"Are you ready to confess?" The General asks, standing in front of them. 

"Yeah," Billy says, "I want to confess that I double parked my Camaro this morning." 

That lands him another hard crack to the face, but if they're focused on _ him, _they're not hurting Steve. 

"It seems that you refuse to take me seriously. So, here's what we're going to do." He says, grabbing Billy's throbbing face and making him wince. "If you don't tell us _ who you work for _ ," He pats the firearm at his hip. "one of you is going to _ die _." 

"What the _ fuck _ ?!" Steve's voice sounds a bit hysterical. "We've _ told you _ over and _ over, _ man. We're fucking _ teenagers, not spies! _ I scoop fucking _ ice cream! _ He's a fucking _ lifeguard!" _

Steve takes a hit to the gut and the Russian man hisses, "We are tired of your _ lies _." He stands up straight and looks between them. 

And Billy knows this fucker is dead serious. He _ also _ knows what needs to happen here, what he needs to _ do _. If Steve has any chance in hell of making it until help arrives, he's gotta buy him time. 

_ Fuck _ , he really should have known he wouldn't get a happy ending. People like him _ never _ do. But at least his death won't be meaningless. At least it won't be at the hands of Neil. At least he got to _ choose. _

The only thing he regrets is that Steve is still here to witness it. 

"Who is it going to be?"

"Me." He tells the General, giving him a pointed look. "He'll crack, I won't." 

"What? No!" 

He can't actually _ see _ Steve's face when they yank him up, but he can still hear him screaming his name, hear him fighting the guards keeping him on the bench. _ Don't! Stop! We're not fucking spies! Please don't do this! We don't know anything! We don't fucking know anything! I swear! Please! _ He's begging, _ crying. _

Billy fights the urge to do the same, because if he starts crying, he'll lose his resolve. He'll _ fight _, and then Steve dies. 

So he stuffs everything down. Every hurt, every smile, every_ I love you _. He lets them go as he's forced down on his knees in the middle of the cell. 

He lifts his head to meet Steve's tear filled eyes and bruised face. And _ fuck _ , he's so glad that Steve is the last thing he'll ever see. But it _ is _ a shame that his last words to him are going to be, "Look away, Sweetheart." 

Sirens blare. The gun goes off. 


	6. Wish We Didn't Meet Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> one-shot response to carito-dorito's prompt: Steve meets Billy's mom at his grave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare to cry.

It's sunny and hot in Hawkins, not a cloud in the sky. A beautiful day if there ever was one. Everyone is probably soaking it up, enjoying it while it lasts.

Everyone except Steve, that is.

Steve wishes it was _raining_, that it was thundering, lightening around him.

Because it's _painful_, and _unfair_ that the outside world doesn't match the hollowed out one that's inside of him.

Why should it be warm and bright and wonderful when something so cold and dark and ugly has made itself at home in his chest?

He doesn't _want _to feel this way, but he's resigned. He knows it's going to hurt, that it's going to feel like he's missing a limb.

Because he lost his person.

_He lost him_, and no one even knew that they'd been _together. _No one knew that he woke up every morning with a broken heart and cried himself to sleep every night. No one knew that he drove across town every time the pain got to be too much to sit on a patch of new grass and cry.

Well, _Max_ knows. She knows everything. The whole story. The beginning until the end. But he refuses to lean on her, or drag her out here every time he wants to go. It's the second time _this week_ that he's here, walking through the cemetery. He's here so much the caretaker knows him by _name_ now.

No. This is something he does alone.

Like everything else.

When he gets closer to his row, his breath hitches. And for a moment he thinks he's seeing things, a ghost maybe, or a mirage, because his eyes have zeroed in on a figure standing in front of the headstone, back turned to him. A figure in faded blue jeans and a head full of blonde curly hair.

The same as _his._

But no. He knows it's not him. He's _gone. _He's _been_ gone for over a _month_. And they are shorter than he'd been, and upon further inspection, it's definitely the figure of a woman.

He moves.

He wants to know who this person is, who's leaving something on his grave. Steve knows everyone that comes here.

Ha. Everyone.

Meaning him and _Max_.

His _dad_ hasn't been back since they laid him in the ground, since he stood up in front of everyone and talked about how much he loved him. How proud he was of him. How sorry he was that this happened.

Yeah. Sure. He's _sorry_.

Maybe sorry that it hadn't been _him_ that did it.

Steve tries not to think about Neil. When he does, rage consumes him, and he does stupid things. Like keying his truck. Or popping one of the tires. Or trying to punch him in the middle of the supermarket.

It's just… it's _bad_.

So he stops thinking about that asshole and focuses again on finding out who this is. He walks until he is standing beside her, and when she turns around it feels like all the air has been sucked out of his lungs.

Because it should be impossible, but Steve is staring into _his _eyes. And that's _his _mouth. _His _golden hair.

This woman…who is standing here alone, crying over his grave… it can't be? But…

"Are you his mom?"

She startles a bit at the sound of his voice, but gives him a calculated look, as if she's sizing him up.

And God, _that_ is the same too.

"Are you his friend?" She finally asks.

_Friend. "_Something like that, yeah."

She nods like she knows what that means, and turns back to the headstone. "He didn't even tell me." She says, and her voice is angry, _bitter_, "Our son… _my_ _child,_ died and he didn't _tell_ me."

Steve knows she means Neil, and he doesn't know _why_ she is telling him this, but it doesn't really matter. He'll listen. Because this is his _mom, _and he had _loved her._ He would have _wanted_ Steve to stay. 

So he does.

* * *

"_He took him from me_." She cries, and furiously wipes tears from her eyes. Steve feels his stomach drop. "Neil didn't even _want him. _He just did it to _punish_ me for leaving." She looks over her shoulder. "He probably never even knew that, did he? That I wasn't allowed to see him?"

He shakes his head, because he _hadn't_. He'd told Steve that she left and didn't take him. That's it. "No."

She makes a sound that he thinks is supposed to be a laugh. "It _figures_. He probably told him I abandoned him. Made him believe that I didn't want him, but I _do_. More than _anything_. I _tried_ to get him back. I tried _so hard_, but that bastard blocked me at every turn."

"The law wasn't on my side. I was _nothing_. A waitress living out of a motel. He had a house. A good job _Money_. It didn't matter to them that he…" She pauses, "it just didn't _matter_ to them."

It's quiet for a moment, and he can hear her sniffling. "I was _nothing." _She says eventually, "But I _loved _him. It should have been _enough_." Then her legs give out and she's kneeling, shaky fingers tracing the engraved letters of his name.

"He was almost _eighteen_. Neil wouldn't have been able to stop me from seeing him anymore. So I was _waiting. I was waiting._" Her shoulders shake and Steve can feel the heat behind his eyes. "And while I was _waiting_, my _baby boy_ _died." _She chokes on a sob. "_And I didn't even know_."

He doesn't try to stop the tears from falling. His chest feels like it's breaking open. Feels like he's losing him all over again, and he places his hand on her shoulder. He wants to say it's just to comfort her, but it's not. It's to anchor him too.

He wants to scream at the sky, the stupid beautiful, clear blue _sky_, because it shouldn't be _him_ standing here consoling this beautiful broken woman. She shouldn't have to have a need to be consoled. She should be smiling and hugging her son, not crying over his grave.

"He was _stolen_ from me. The life we could have had was stolen from us. If Neil would have just...let me have him, maybe he'd still be alive. Maybe he wouldn't have died thinking…thinking that I didn't… that I didn't _love him_."

"He knew." Steve says softly, crouching down beside her. "He may have thought you left, but he _always_ knew you loved him."

She just sobs harder and Steve wraps his arms around her, hugs her tightly, holds her like he knows _he_ would have. And _shit_, his chest _aches_.

And he keeps holding her until his limbs are numb, until she's pats his back and pulls away. He sits down right where he is and listens to her taking deep breaths. He takes a few too.

"Was he happy?" She asks when the crying subsides. It sounds more like a plea to Steve's ears.

"He was when he was with _me_." He answers, hoping he's making the right call by telling her this. He keeps Neil's bullshit to himself.

She hums, thoughtful. "You loved him didn't you?"

"Yes." His throat tightens and his emotions threaten to spill out, because she doesn't sound angry. Would she have approved of them? There's only one way to find out. "And he…he never _said it_, but I could tell that he.. that he loved me too."

"Only his sister Max knew about us. People here...they ...they're not so open minded. And that was the hardest part. I had to… I had to _stand there_ and pretend that we were _nothing_ to each other. I had to pretend that he _didn't_ take a part of me with him when he... I had to hold myself together and stuff down the urge to sob because it would have looked strange. It would have tipped off _Neil_, and I didn't want to end up decking him at his sons funeral."

He sighs. "Maybe I should have. Maybe it would have made me feel better. Maybe it would have made _everyone_ feel better. He's a fucking _dick_. But you already know that. More than any of us."

"Yes. I do."

He rubs at his eyes. "He's just...he was more upset that Max was at the mall, than finding out...and I was…I was _there_ when it happened. Me _and_ Max. We _saw_ it and we couldn't _do_ anything. We were _helpless_. And we climbed out of the wreckage of that lobby broken and traumatized, and the only thing he does is _yell_ at her when he finally shows up. What the fuck is _wrong _with him?"

"A lot." She replies.

He snorts in agreement before blurting out, "I keyed his truck. After the funeral."

She looks a little surprised. "_You_ keyed his truck?"

"Yeah. I just. I _hate_ him. Like really _really_ hate him," God what an understatement. "and it was the easiest passive way to say _fuck you_."

"I think I like you-" She stops and tilts her head, "Oh, what's your name, hun?"

"Steve."

"I think I like you, Steve. "She extends her hand to him and he takes it. "I'm Amelia."

Her hand is small in his, "It's nice to meet you." He says honestly. "I just wish it was under different circumstances."

Her mouth turns down and he knows she's barely holding it together. "Yeah. Me too."

They sit in a sad yet comfortable silence for a long time, until she abruptly stands up and brushes off her pants.

He shields his eyes from the sun as he looks up at her. "You're leaving?"

She gives him a slight smile. "You came to be alone with him. I can come back later."

"At least let me walk you back to your car."

She agrees so he gets up.

"You staying here in town?" He asks, as they head back to where they're parked.

She nods, "At least for a couple of days. I'm at the Motel 6 off the highway."

"Well, I have…Max snuck me some of his stuff." He tells her. He's been thinking about this for awhile. He thinks it's the right thing to do. "You can come look through them if you want? Take something back with you." He can't keep them to himself, not anymore, not after meeting her. "And I have pictures. You probably don't have recent ones, right? You can have some of those too."

She looks like she's going to burst out in tears again. "That would be…thank you."

He swallows the lump in his throat. "He'd want you to have something."

"You're a good boy, Steve. I'm glad my son had someone like you here."

He can't find the words to respond to that so he just gives her a tight smile and his number before watching her leave between the iron gates.

Only then does he return.

But he doesn't sit when he gets there, just stands with the sun beating down on the back of his neck as he stares at the name that shouldn't be there.

"I met your mom." He tells the silent granite. "And El was _right_, Billy." He blinks back tears. "She's really pretty."


End file.
